Display cabinet



April 18, 1944. Q y'rl-[QR 2,347,139

"DISJPLMl CABINET Fi1`ed Dec. 4. 19.41 5 Sheets-Sheet l- 705cm' Thai' April 18, 1944. o- THOR 2,347,139

' DISPLAY CABINET Filed Deo. 4, 41941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig INVENTOR. BY Oscar 7770/ Apri11s,11944. o -THOR Y 2,347,139

' DIs1=LAY CABINET Filed Dec. 4, 1941 I5` Sheets-Sheet 3 ze) www Wm fz? 4 .y BY Osea( 777er lifurw cy.

Patented Apr. 18, 1944 UNITED STATES "PAT-ENT OFFICE DISPLAY CABINET Oscar Thor, Kearny,vN. J.

Application December 4, 1941, Serial No. 421,679 11 claims. (c1. 2li-121) The purpose of this invention is to provide a device for displaying relatively large flat objects, such as rugs in which each object may be displayed individually and in a horizontal position, and in which the operator may readily change from one to another.

The invention is a relatively large frame having four corner sections with trays suspended in thev intermediate portion and supported at the corners by latches pivotally attached to the trays and adapted to dovetail into teeth in vertical racks at the corners, and also having endless chains in the corner sections with travelling carriages thereon equipped with means for automatically picking up the last tray of a group over which it may travel, and conveying this tray upward or downward, and then releasing it automatically at the upper or lower end of the frame.

Various devices have been provided for displaying large at objects such as rugs, but most of these show them suspended in the vertical position, which is unnatural, and those that show them horizontal are so very complicated and cumbersome that they have not been considered practical, and therefore have not been used. Rugs therefore, are still displayed stacked one upon another in a pile on the floor, and when it is desired to see a lower rug it is necessary for the salesman to move the entire pile, one at a time, thereby requiring considerable time, and therefore it has been found desirable to provide means for mechanically moving rugs, one at a time, so that each one may be displayed.

The object of this invention is therefore, to provide a cabinet or machine in which large at objects such as rugsmay be displayed one at a time, and stored when not being displayed.

Another object is to provide a rug displaying device in which the rugs remain horizontal at all times.

Another object is to provide a rug displaying device in which all of the rugs may remain at the top or bottom and'may be readily moved one at a time from one position to another.

A further object is to provide a rug displaying cabinet which moves rugs vertically while in a horizontal position that may be operated by a push button.

And a still further object is to provide a rug display cabinet which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these ends in view the invention embodies a frame with a motor at the top arranged to drive endless chains at the corners, and horiwhich devices are provided on the chains for automatically picking up and conveying the trays upward and downward, and also in which means is provided in the corners of the frame for gripping and holding the trays at the upper and lower ends of the frame.

Other features and advantages oi the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing a side elevation of the cabinet with parts broken away.

Figure 2 is a plan view also with parts broken away.

Figure 3 is a corner section illustrating a sectional plan with a corner of a tray and the holding and operating parts therefor shown therein.

Figure 4 is a detail showing a section through the carriage with parts broken away and parts omitted.

Figure 5 is a similar view showing a carriage on the opposite side of the section, with the carriage shown in elevation.

Figure 6 is a cross section through the carriage.

Figure 'l illustrates an alternate arrangement in which the trays are individually supported by tapes running over pulleys at the corners and` to spring rollers similar to shade rollers.

In the drawings the display cabinet is shown as it may be made wherein numeral I indicates a display tray, numeral 2 a frame in which a plurality of trays may be suspended, and numeral 3 a motor by which the device may be operated.

'I'he tray I may be of any size or shape and in the drawings is illustrated as rectangular being formed with side angles 4 and 5, and ends 6 and l, also of angular shape, and these may support a plate 8 upon which a rug 9 or the like may be placed as shown in Figures 1 and 2. These trays are provided with guide rollers I il at the corners, which roll in tracks I I, thereby keeping the trays `centered in all positions. On the sides of the trays and adjacent the ends are brackets I2 in which latches I3 are pivotally mounted, as shown in .Figure 3, and these latches are adapted to mesh with teeth of a rack I4 at each corner, thereby providing means for supporting the racks at the upper part of the frame. The brackets are also provided with extending arms having contacting surfaces I5 which are positioned in the path of rollers I6 on sliders II in carriages I8, and the carriages are attached to endless chains I9 by which they are moved upward and downward in the frame. With several' zontal trays suspended in the frame, and 111:55 trays together the surfaces l5 form a continuous track, which provides operating means to move the latches I3, disengaging the latches kfrom the racks I4 to sockets 2i) extending from the carriages so that the trays may be picked up by the carriages to travel upward or downward therewith.

As the rollers I6 run off the surfaces I5 of the last tray the springs 22, held in the carriages by side plates 2 I, will then move the sliders toward the racks 23, and one of the teeth 25 of a cam 24 will engage the rack 23 and rotate the cam and shaft 26 on which it is mounted. As this shaft rotates it will rotate a shaft 21 through gears 28 and 23, and as shaft 21 rotates it will turn a spider 30 so that lugs 3| thereon will engage and operate the latch I3, thereby rproviding the operating movement which releases the tray from the rack I4. The spring 32 provides friction to hold the shaft 21 and the spider 30 to prevent turning thereon as the carriage travels. The cam 24 is also provided with teeth 33 and 30.', the tooth 33' being adapted to operate the latch to release the tray from the carriage, and the tooth 34 being positioned to extendhorizontally when the trays are at the lower end of the frame, so that the carriage may pick up the uppermost tray to carry it upward.

The endless chains I9 are mounted on sprockets 3.5- at the upper end andl sprockets 36 at the lower and these chains are' formed with rollers 31 and 38 which locate and hold` the chains between the outer walls 39 and inner members 4I] and lll. The frame is provided with additional racks 43 at the lower end whichl are positioned to engage the teeth 33 to operate'the latch to release the trays from the chain, racks 42, also at the lower end for operating the latch to pick up the trays to carry them upward, and also racks 44, at the uipper end for releasing the trays and latch them into thev rack I4, which holds them stationary until' it should again be desired to inspect or display objects therein.

The motor 3 is provided with a shaft 45 with worm gears 45 at the ends which mesh with gears 41 on the upper shafts 4B, on which the sprockets are mounted, and it will be under` stood that the motor may be started and stopped or controlled by a switch 49, and by pressing a button of the switch it may be started to move a tray downward or upward, and it may be stoppe'd with the tray in any position. A red light 50 may also be @provided to light as a warning to indicate that all of the trays are in the upper'orv lower position. One tray, as'indicated by the numeral' 5I, may be stationary as it may remain in the lower position.

Any suitable means may be provided for illuminating' rugs or the like on display in the cabinet, and in the design shown lights 52 are providedl in sections in' the upper part ofthe frame and these may be positioned or may have means ,for throwing or reflecting light upon rugs or the like in the trays.

In the design shown in Figure '1'trays 53, similar to the trays I, are slidable vertically in a frame 54, and' each tray is individually supported by tapes or strands 55 at the corners, and these extend upward over pulleys 56, and then to spring rollers, similar to shade rollers', as indicated by the numeral 51, and it Awill be noted that the trays may be drawn downward to any desired position, and they will stop in this4 epos'ition, as a window shade", and then when it is desired to movev theml back to the' upper part of the frame it is only necessary tol giveV them a slight movement and they will travel upward to the storing position. It will be understood that the trays may be supported and operated by any means or in any manner.

It will be understood that other changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. One of which changes may be in the use of other means for driving or operating the chains, as it will be understood. that these may be operated in any manner or by any means, another may be in the use of belts or ropes in place of the chains, another may be in the use of individual motors for the trays, another may be in the use of other means for holding or locking the trays at the different elevations, and still another may be in the use of other means for attaching the trays to the chains or other conveying means.

The construction will be readily understood from the foregoing description. In use the device m-ay be provided as illustrated and described, and` ordinarily all of the trays, except the onev at the bottom will remain in the upper position, and when itis desired to inspect or display a rug or the like, the motor may be started, and the chains will move the carriages at the respective corners downward, and after the rollers I6 in the carriages pass over thev surfaces I5 of the lowerrnost tray to move the sliders inwardly the springs in the carriages will move the sliders thereof outward and the cam teeth will engage the racks and operate the latches to disengage the latches and trays from the cornerr racks I4 and engage them with the carriages so that the tray may travel downward therewith. The trays are moved upward in the same manner as hereinbefore described, the carriages picking up the trays one by one and elevating them as may be desired.

Having thus fully describedy the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A rug display cabinet having a plurality of horizontally positioned and movable trays, a sup- Y porting and operating frame having corner sec'- tions, stationary means in said corner sections for supporting said traysv at the upper end of the frame, and means automatically releasing said trays from the stationary means, and moving them, one at a time downward.

2. A display cabinet as described in claim 1, in which the releasing and moving means comprises, endless chains mounted on sprockets in the corner sections, means operating said chains, conveying carriages on said chains, and operating means on the trays and carriages for releasing and picking up said trays,

t 3. A display device as described in claim 1, having guide rollers at the corners of the trays, and guides on the frame.

A device for displaying relatively large flat obJects comprising a plurality of trays, a supporting frame, latches on the corners of the trays, racks in the corners ofthe upper part of the frame positioned to receive said latches for holding the trays, and lowering' means adapted to withdraw said latches from one rack at a time and hold the trays by the latches, and means on the trays and carriages for releasing said trays from the lowering means.

5. A display rack comprising a plurality of movable trays, a frame supporting said trays, means holding said trays stationary in the upper part of the frame, and means mounted on the trays and frames for releasing said trays oneat a time from said stationary holding means and conveying them to the bottom of the frame.

6. A display rack as described in claim 5, in which the stationary holding means comprises corner racks, and latches mounted on the corners of the trays adapted to mesh in said racks.

7. A display rack as described in claim 5, in which the conveying means comprises carriages on travelling chains mounted on sprockets in the corners of the frame, and latches mounted on the corners of the trays adapted to be engaged in said carriages, said latches also adapted to be engaged in said stationary holding means.

8. In combination with a display rack as described in claim 5, means indicating when all of said trays have arrived at the upper or lower positions.

9. In combination with a display device as described in claim 5, in which the conveying means comprises carriages, means raising and lowering said carriages, and releasable means for holding said trays by said carriages.

10. In combination with a display device as described in claim 5, in which the conveying means comprises carriages, travelling chains mounted on the frame on which the carriages are mounted, and means on said carriages and on the frame automatically operating said latches on the trays to engage withthe carriages or stationary corner holding means.

11. In combination with a display device as described in claim 5, in which the conveying means comprises carriages, travelling devices on which the carriages are mounted, sliders in said carriages, means on said trays moving said sliders inward, resilient means moving said sliders outward, cam teeth on said sliders, and stationary racks at the upperrand lower end of said frame, said frame adapted` to be engaged by said cam teeth to operate said latches whereby the latches engage with the carriages or corner hold- 20 ing means.

OSCAR THOR. 

